Competition
Group G action commences tonight as the previously highly-rated Belgium face off against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt.
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Belgium and Egypt begin their World Cup journeys this evening in the Group G opening match.
These are two sides not necessarily tipped to make deep runs in the competition, but several major names are worth keeping an eye on.
Here’s a preview of how the Belgium versus Egypt encounter might unfold at Seattle Stadium tonight.
Belgium vs Egypt prediction
For roughly a decade or more, Belgium were considered among Europe’s elite teams, boasting a golden generation of talents like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Eden Hazard.
That golden generation didn’t quite pan out, though, and it’s fair to say Rudi Garcia now has a more modest squad at his disposal for the 2026 World Cup.
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Still, with De Bruyne looking to leave his imprint (likely for the final time at a World Cup), and players like Youri Tielemans, Jeremy Doku, and Matias Fernandez-Pardo entering the tournament in strong form, Belgium remain a side capable of producing impressive performances.
One area of concern is their attack, however. Alexis Saelemekars, Diego Moreira, and Dodi Lukebakio have managed only seven goals combined in the 2025/26 season, and if Lukaku is unavailable, it will be tough for Garcia to cover that gap.
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Belgium went unbeaten in qualifying, though, and should have enough to overcome Egypt, at least on paper.
For the African side, it’s largely centered on Mohamed Salah.
Salah might be ranked No.1 in FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest Premier League wingers ever, but he’s had a difficult past season with Liverpool after falling out of favor with Arne Slot.
Still, the talismanic forward will be a closely watched figure against Belgium, and even if he can’t find a breakthrough, Man City’s Omar Marmoush serves as a suitably dangerous partner.
This will likely be a tight contest, featuring two hard-working teams that depend heavily on their attacking lines.
The strength of Belgium’s defense will be the key differentiating factor here, then.
Score prediction: Belgium 2-1 Egypt
Jakob has over 11 years of experience in journalism across sports, entertainment, tech, and politics. Now a freelance news writer for FourFourTwo, he covers the biggest stories from the world of football.
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